Monday, October 30, 2006

What I'm really dreading is the automatic phone calls. Who decided this was a good idea? I hate rushing to the phone only to hear a taped message. If anything, it makes voting for the candidate a horrible idea. I'm not into encouraging bad behavior.

Sadly, you know the Republicans are sucking eggs when our Commander In Chief is dragging the gay marriage issue outta his butt. Winter fuel prices, ending our current war, preventing another terrorist-funded disaster, and respecting the nation's right to privacy while also keeping tabs on anti-American groups have all been huge issues for our government. Families struggling between food and winter warmth, hundreds of people dying in a war over 'possible' WMD's, the joke and money pit that is our Homeland Security, and the joy of knowing someone is listening in on me and my husband's conversation while he's in service overseas are all not as important as limiting the rights of those having the nerve to be gay.

To me, once the big issues are taken care of, then let's worry about how to limit the rights of others. How to punish those who aren't like everyone else. Gay is ok, obviously, and of course fat people are, too, to pick on. Sadly for those who enjoy this, there are actual laws against 'punishing' any other types of 'different' people. (intensely cranky sarcasm)

No fretting allowed. We just had a chocolate taste test, and I'm drinking 4 oz of red wine. Roto Rooter for the arteries and veins. Yes! Hershey's lost the taste test, with the worst being Ghiradelli's. In the front were Perugina and Lindt. Europeans don't care if you use real cream, it's worth it. Whatever bad or cranky mood I may have by all the slurs and mud in the election, it's all being swabbed away by flaviniods. That, and my family being home and carving pumpkins in the garage.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Ok, I started a post around noon today, then ran off to SS&K knit group today.

I've been way busy lately and tomorrow will be wonderful. Carol and I, along with her two friends Susan, went to a Speaking of Women's Health conference yesterday. Lots of fun and rather odd to be at a girls only event. I'm used to sci-fi and computer conferences with an almost all male attendance. Some parts were a bit too gooey girly, but overall it was really fun. Plus, the goodies passed out were worth everything. Makeups, skin lotions, health screenings (oh so bad on my part), and hair color made it fun. We even got free socks.

That little snail above is a liar. Sadly, I'm a bit higher in the weight, if you can call 9-10lbs a bit. The body fat is hideous, as you can imagine. The cholesterol, even including the all you can eat shrimp event the night before at Red Lobster, and that I wasn't fasting, was a horrible 254. Blood pressure was surprisingly good at 138/83. Considering I was sitting next to and anticipating needles, that's not bad. :D

Countertops are ordered for all the countertopped rooms, which is good. I'm currently peeling wallpaper in the kitchen, always fun. We also have a new kitchen sink and it's lovely, too.

Ok, here's our flooring so far. It's from this website. The colors below for the slate are the same name. Tells ya how different cameras work differently. In real life, this is much prettier and matches our counters much better than shown below. On the website, this is Natural Slate.

Here is the shade of wood laminate tiles we want to use. In real life, they're a bit darker, plus, the photo doesn't show how textured this is. We wanted wood, but in the kitchen and bathrooms? I didn't want to take the chance on water damage. On the website, this is Hand Scraped.

What do we want to do with both wood AND slate? This! We really love this and want it in every room on the main floor excluding the living room. I'm certain about this choice. :)

I have emails and comments to address, but... with all the fretting about the kitchen and roof options, the conference, today's knit group, I'm pooped! It's not any of the above, just the driving. Most of the driving has been either in rush hour or in rain. I'm looking forward to doing nothing but cleaning tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

This is what I wish our kitchen and laundry room looked like, only with black appliances. Such loveliness. We're probably going with tile in the laundry and bathrooms, Hubs wants wood floors in the dining room and I'm fighting him on that, since the room already has a lot of wood in it. He also would like wood floors all through the kitchen and most of the main floor, but then, carpet IS warm, and newer carpet would be easier to clean. We've been budgeting for a while, so now we just need to make some decisions. Maybe I'll go to Home Depot and Lowes today, just to look at samples. Although, I've looked at so much and at so many magazines, my eyes are crossed. The library at Weston was giving away their KC Homes magazines, plus some other home ones, and I've already torn out what I like from there. I should just combine the clippings, look at the resources, and be done with it.Maybe for the countertops? I don't know. Everyone at knit group the week before liked this with the colors already in the house. The paint colors stay the same, no changing. I'm not redoing what I've already done. Bleh.

Here's a non-scanned picture of the slate. I like it, but not the border shown. Right now, I want the big tiles for the floor and/or the little tiles for the backsplash. The only thing is they're real slate and will have to be sealed. Plus, I'm not so sure I can do it myself. I'll have to tell my beloved to pay the man already and leave me out of the tile thing.

Here's all our samples scanned in. The scanner's fluorecent light makes everything a bit yellowish. The yellow paint sample is really a warm creamy color. It's the base color for everything and isn't going to change. Everything else is totally up in the air. The nice thing is, all our cabinetry is great, the appliances are super, and I have the paint already. The kitchen is just getting a facelift with the counters, floors, and backsplash. Hubby has a handyman friend we're having help out with it. There's also the basement troubles, molding sheetrock from prior termite feasts, that needs fixing. Since it IS in the basement, next to the bar, I don't think anyone will be sober enough to know we did it ourselves. Ha!

Aren't these pretty?! They're clean, too, and I'm wearing them to the class I'm teaching tonight. I'm such a showoff, but hey, they're DONE! Yay! I can't blog about other things, because they're Christmas presents. Some of my family reads this, so... I can't wait to show off what I've done for them, though. The items are turning out better than I'd expected. :D

We went to Hub's parents over the weekend and had fun hanging out with them. Then, yesterday, I had the dental appointment. I didn't scream OR cry, better than the last time, for sure. Only three shots, too. Last time, my jaw muscles hurt, this time, it's my neck. Ah well, ibuprophen is my friend.

48 Things You Could Care Less About1. FIRST NAME? Laura2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I don't think so, Mom just liked the name. So do I, for that matter.3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Last week after the dentist, but it wasn't a cry, but leaky eyes. 4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I would if I could read it. Shoulda been a doctor.5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Ham.6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Ha! Have you seen my yarn stash? I'd love me and hang out over here all the time, trying to con the yarn away. Seriously, though, I'd be my friend because I'd know while I'm non-intrusive to the point of being neglectful, I also would never intentionally say something to cause a moment of hurt feelings. It takes a lot of poking to make me mean, and even then, I'll feel bad about it if I retaliate. 7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? This is it! See the handwriting thing above.8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes! Mom fought the doc and the Mom won. 9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Ha! No. This is as good as it gets.10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Grape Nuts.11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Nope!12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I do, right up until needles are involved. Then I sprout feathers and turn into a chicken.13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Right now, I'm craving Pumpkin. Otherwise, I love anything with crunchies or fruits in it. Butter brickle, peanut butter crunch, black cherry, all those. I never turn away ice cream, which explains why my clothes are shrinking.14. SHOE SIZE? 75. RED OR PINK? Red16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I talk too much. I hate that.17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My grandparents and uncles. Everyone else is a phone call away.18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Um, how about just post your own answers on your own blog. The blogless are free to email and I'll post here, if you like. :P19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? What I wore to bed last night, grey shirt, black gauchos, white socks.20. LAST THING YOU ATE? A chocolate chip last night as a reward for finishing a row.21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The space heater and computer fan hums.22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Supposedly, Sky Blue, but I think their test is flawed.23. FAVORITE SMELL? My daughter's hair.24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Yikes! The librarian helping with my Nov 2nd class.25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their smell.26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? Of course. Even though I never win her contests and am highly bitter about it, she's still pretty cool and a brilliant photographer.27. FAVORITE DRINK? Diet Pepsi.28. FAVORITE SPORT? I don't know. :P Never thought about it, really.29. EYE COLOR? Greenish brown.30. HAT SIZE? No idea.31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Of course I do. Have since 1979.32. FAVORITE FOOD? Mexican, seafood, Chinese, Italian, in that order. I love American foods, but love the exotics, too.33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings all the way.35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer.36. HUGS OR KISSES? Lots of both. Even if they're only Hershey's.37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Tiramisu cheesecake. 38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I dunno.39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? More I dunno.40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Retarded, easy to walk away from ones, like, Scandinavian Phrasebook, Cool Careers for Dummies, A Gathering of Lace (probably overdue at the library), Make Your House Clean Itself.41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? A wrist rest and what looks like a smudge of chocolate.42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? My Family on DVD, Law & Order CI and SVU, news, last half of a South Park.43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? The front door opening with a crash, things being tossed on the floor, and a "Hi Mom!" from a starving Fry. That, and the garage door opening, then the laundry and kitchen doors, and a "Hello!" from 'the man'.44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles, even though the Stones are pretty cool.45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Rome, Italy.46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? My ability to write long blog posts about nothing.47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Oklahoma48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? No one, I stole it from January One.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

A funny thing happened on the way to a post. Blogger is being a bear and not letting me put up pictures. Grr. I've tried the three at once, then one at a time, and nothing works. I really hate that, because it's not like I'm loading 5 pictures at a time several times a day. My Simply Lacy socks are done and on my feet, and you'll just have to take my word for it. There's some other socks needing mending, and a few Christmas things to knit up as well.

So anyway...

There's going to be a knock-down dragout tomorrow when Fry gets off the bus and she doesn't even know it, yet. The Sims 2: Pets is arriving sometime tomorrow. Sadly, our computer chair has wheels, so she can pull me away from the keyboard. Happily, the mouse is wireless. Let's just SEE her pry it from my clawed up hand. It'll be like us fighting over the last Diet Pepsi on Christmas Eve. No stores are open the next couple of days, then, so the fight is a bad one. ;) Noogies, half-Nelsons, wet Willies, Indian sunburns, it's obviously NOT pretty.

What will actually happen is, I'll play the game just to get her a cool little pet store set up in her own neighborhood. Then, when she's home, I'll have her a drink and snack ready, and tell her she needs to play Sims without letting her in on the news. Her bedtime is 9pm, so I'll get the computer again, then.

Why have I not been blogging? Well, I'd been cleaning, seeing the gals at the Sit, Sip, and Knit, signing up for the Studio's knitting retreat (but haven't reserved the rooms just yet), falling down the stairs a little bit, and having my mouth given the jack o'lantern treatment by the dentist.

What was that, you say? Falling down the stairs? Why yes, I did a little bit. I was telling Fry something, standing on what I thought was the second from the bottom stair, then stepped back onto what I thought was the main floor but was really air. Usually, I'm much better at catching myself, but down I went. My foot, knee, and hand hurt. The fun thing was, my Hubs was on the phone to his parents, hung up really fast, and ran over to assist. Sweet, but not so sweet when he called them back later and had me tell them what happened. Not in a mean way, but in a hear it from the horse's mouth sort of way. His mom and I commiserated over how fun it was to be put on the spot and having to admit one's gracelessness. My toe, already dodgy from a childhood horse tank incident, is the only thing feeling the pain, still. I'll pause here to let my Mom finish laughing over the 'incident'. Let's just say that a child should not flail around in a horse tank full of water when said child is a goof. I was going to type 'blithering idiot', but I'm not an idiot. Blithering, yes, idiot, no.

So anyway, the worst bruises are the two on my hiney cheeks. Yes, I know, TMI. They're from bumping into corners and cabinet door handles while running around the house cleaning, painting, and all that. Obviously, I'm not used to this much 'junk' in my trunk or I wouldn't keep whomping it on various obstacles.

Whew. Now, let's go on to yesterday's agony and embarrassment. I'm sure my dentist loves me, especially when I squall out during the deadening shots. Four of them, some of which HAD to be in my cheekbone, and none of them painless. At least they weren't in the palette, those hurt more than anything. He came at me with the needle before I was numb good from the goo, and I squawked, "Not dead yet! Not dead!" I still wasn't dead even after he waited a couple more seconds (but I'm not bitter), so I'm gargling with super strength Anbisol on Monday when I get to go back to have the scaling done on the left side. Yes, I'll drool, but then, that's so much better than the screaming, don't you think? The above website would have you believe that just by brushing and flossing, a person can avoid gum disease. Not true. When I had braces, I brushed and flossed after every meal, avoided food in between meals because it meant more 'tooth' time, and for what? My teeth were perfect, maybe a cavity from the braces, but the gums? They're measured on a 1 to 5 scale, from good to bad, and the best I ever did were some ones, some twos, but mostly threes. I'd waited a couple of years between cleanings, which is why this one was so bad, and will be again on Monday. The best thing was, Fry was home from a stomach flu (oh soooo bad), and Hubs came home to make sure everyone had chicken soup and 7-up. They both hugged on me, particularly since my eyes wouldn't stop watering. I wasn't crying, just had watery eyes. Even now, my teeth are great, the bad tooth doesn't hurt, but the jaw muscles ache like crazy. Tension is a bad thing sometimes.

We were all expecting me to get a root canal, but the scaling fixed the tooth. Hubs was saying all this pain from one shot, and I replied, no, from four. Then, the scraping under the gum line. He and Fry have cavity prone teeth, but fantastic gums, I have the reverse. Too bad for Fry she didn't get the good teeth AND good gums.

I could go into the whole thing about how I've noticed (as have other brainer types) that circulatory problems and periodontal problems seem to be related. The gums warn you for later in life. Maybe they're on the same gene. It's probably time for me to consider heart health instead of using my 'youth' as an excuse to be lazy. ;)

Something fun and true today:

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Shetland Wool. You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a little on the harsh side. Though you look delicate you are tough as nails and prone to intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are widely respected and even revered.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Wow! I love my appliances. Mary was right about the noise, the dishwasher is more than I'm used to, but then, I'm used to nothing. Ha! Fry asked to be the first to use it, so she got to load it.

Maybe I'll cook on the stove tomorrow. We had pizza delivery tonight, just to keep everything nice until the Hubs comes home. He's working Bingo night at the Knights of Columbus. Poor guy has Army Reserve tomorrow, too, so it'll be us girls at the Sit, Sip, and Knit tomorrow.

Wow! Lots of comments! I'll answer them all here. The tooth is fine, painful a bit, but fine. The dentist wants me to come back Tuesday to have it closely looked at, plus get half my teeth cleaned. Top or bottom? No, the right side of the mouth and then the left. The dentist mumbled something about 'root canal' which Hubs has assured me sounds worse than what it is. He's had a few. He and Fry have cavities, I have gum problems. Seems the pained tooth has had trauma. I'd bumped it hard a few times while chewing, of all things. I know, I thought, "Wow, dumb butt, chew much in your life?" So we will see Tuesday if I need the dreaded root canal or if the antibiotic will help. The dentist said my Midrin for the headaches will work if the tooth is killing me. I usually take just one with the antibiotic, which is nice. By the time the ibuprophen wears off, it's time for the other pill.

Carol, you amaze me at how little you get by with cooking. I'm totally impressed, but then, I do like cooking every so often. :D The natives around here insist upon it. I can't wait until the countertops, flooring and tile backsplashes are replaced, too. Fry is having difficulty accepting the changes. I'm like, "Hon, the wallpaper is PLAID, and the tiles are WHITE. Plus, kitchen carpet? Uggg. The counters are ok, but as vanilla as a person could get. We've tried including her in on the changes, but she's not wanting to change anything, of course. Oh well! Too bad so sad for her!

Mary, I can't tell you how often I've got my hiney in a bind from speedreading and not paying attention. I'd just thought my writing was unclear, and maybe it was. :P When are you moving, have you picked out colors for the old house? My offer for color hunting still stands.

Susan, I totally understand the bonding reference. I can't deal with Mom's gas stove. Gas leaks worry me. It's silly, I know. All the holiday cooking, done on a new stove!! I'm thrilled.

There's been yarn in the mail, beads in the mail, and even wood flooring samples in the mail. I'll have to share all that later, since the man of the house needs the computer. He rarely does, so I can share. :P

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

I've ordered the first two seasons of My Family from BBC America and they've shipped today. If we enjoy this half as much as we have Alien Nation and My Name Is Earl, there'll be much laughter in the house. We had Toppa watch some of Earl over the weekend and she didn't make a fool of herself with laughing. I try to be cool about it, but tend to laugh my hiney off at Earl and My Family. I've grown up with so much great comedy in my life, it's tough for a show to make me laugh until tears. Usually, the tears are from repressed laughter because I want to hear the next line instead of laughing through it.

My Family - That's Just Weird & Scary.

Nick is my favorite. In the film below, you'll see one of the reasons why.

The ancient peoples, the ones born before novicane, I mean. Oh. My. God. I have a tooth that's been hurting since yesterday morning and a wicked fear of dentists with needles. My dearly beloved went out last night and found me three kinds of gum numbz. They all work ok, but of course wear off. I do have an appointment tomorrow at 2:30, so I'm hoping by this time tomorrow, I'll be fine.

So what's happened in the past week to keep me from blogging? Finishing up the laundry room. I keep dragging family members in there to look at the beauty. It's the same creamy yellow as the foyer. Also, yesterday the washer arrived. Joy oh joy! Mary, I have tried to felt something already. I had to, you know. It works ok. The washer barrel is bigger than the prior one, and even though the new washer has an agitator, the barrel is so big there's no friction. I think the item would felt faster if I'd put jeans in there, too. I've almost worn out the washer from doing laundry today and especially yesterday. It's wonderful. If you're going to get a new washer, be sure to get the matching dryer. Not that I'm being anal or anything, but I've noticed the dryer has to struggle a bit, the washer holding more.

It's not just the washer that's entering the building. With Chelle, and now Mary moving, (Jen moved a few months ago), plus touring all the Staley Farms houses this weekend... I would LOVE a new house. There would be nothing better than moving into somewhere nice that I don't have to fix. But then, what would I do all day? Ha! What's the next best thing? New appliances! Yay! Technically, the possessed dishwasher is the only thing that needs replacing. If I did that, the stove and microwave, both in here since 1988, would look scruffy. With the gift cards and discounts, we decided to splurge on all three. The fridge is still good so far, knock on wood.

I love the microwave we picked. It's not as big, but then we don't use our microwave that much. Warming up leftovers, defrosting meats, and popcorn is about as good as it gets.

I don't know how dinner will go down on Friday. To cook or not to cook? Tis nobler to leave the glass topped stove clean, or to prove the need for a wonderful new range? What should I do?? ;)

Last and most important is the dishwasher. For the past several years, I'VE been the dishwasher, the current one being possessed. When a washer turns on spontaneously AND with the door unlatched, it's possessed. I had to unplug it to turn it off. I know, freaky. Spooky model is GE's 2200, the hopefully non-possessed is the GE 4000.

Jen, we agree with the faux wood. We'd been looking at the wood floors available at Home Depot, but they're just not the real thing. I think we're going to wait and save up for the good stuff. New floors, new countertops and sinks, and new tile in the house will turn our house into a new place. Susan, I've managed to knit a couple of rows in the past week. I wanted to get the kitchen painted before the new appliances arrived. Not going to happen. Still, I love that new house smell in the laundry room.

Chelle, are you going to be at SS&K on Saturday? I'm wondering if we shouldn't solidify the plans for the Knitter's retreat. Too bad Camie Vog and Susan couldn't attend (Hint hint that they should.) I didn't even consider the event might fill up. Yikes!

Now I need to swab some numbz-it on the Tooth and check everyone else's blogs.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Didn't blog about the washer, did I? Our beloved washer died a bit. More like spin disabled. I've researched them and ordered one today. It'll get here on Tuesday sometime. I don't have a life, so of course I can wait at home all day for them. Yes, I could have used the pickup to get it home myself, but... I couldn't be all smug and think "I'd have done a better job," if they goof up the installation.

In the meantime, I thought this would be an excellent time to paint the laundry room. We're not going to be wild and crazy, it's the same yellowish creamy color as the foyer and part of the kitchen. Tomorrow will be fun, teaching a socks class with paint still on my hands and hopefully not in my hair. Fry said, "Boy, Mom! Your hair sure is white!" I retorted, "Look closer," and laughed when she laughed.

This weekend is sure to be action packed. Hubs is going to do inventory at the bank for one of his clubs in the morning. I'll get him to drop off what I've baked for the American Legion bake sale, because the rough wool awaits me at Cottage Fiber's sale from 10-12 at the same time. Don't NEED the rough wool, since the last time I was there, I bought some black roving, a lovely pinky stuff that matches the booties and hat Flakey wore, and some deep jeweltone roving like some I'd bought before at the same place.

Then, we'll regroup with Toppa and go on the Parade of Homes Tour. Ooooo, we love model homes. All three of us, Hub, me, and Fry love the models. I'm thinking for Fry, it's future homes, and for Hub and I, it's the cleanness. The new appliances are very cool, too. I have a list of what I want replaced in the kitchen. After I'm done painting in here, we're getting them. In the meantime, we're paying special attention to kitchen flooring and counter tops. A lot of the newer homes are going for the granite counters and wood floors, but I'm not so sure. Two of my talents are spilling and staining, so we'll need something easy to clean. Plus, we'll get to hang out with Toppa! We've not had a chance to do that in a quite a while. :)

There's a Chemo Cap knit in I want to go to on Sunday. I've not called, yet, so my request to join in maybe a bit frosty. We'll see. If not, I'll finish the laundry room. This involves moving the washer and dryer to the other side of the room, always a good test of my fitness.

Speaking of that, I'd like to lose down a bit for the knitter's retreat. If the lap pool is still there, it'd be a good incentive to wear my jeans and still be able to breathe. I have a lot of knitting business paperwork stuff to do tomorrow, one of which will be signing up for the retreat. Plus, since my fingers will be the only parts of me not sore from cleaning and painting, I can answer emails. :D

I stole these from Susan at Red Dirt Knitter today. But not in a bad way.

You Belong in Summer

Energetic, creative, and very curious about the world...You're not going to let anything hold you back, especially a cold day.Whether you're chilling out at the beach or partying all night, you live for the warm weather.

You're a top cook, but you weren't born that way. It's taken a lot of practice, a lot of experimenting, and a lot of learning. (and a lot of people upchucking, ha ha ha!)It's likely that you have what it takes to be a top chef, should you have the desire...

Your ideas are very strange, and people often wonder what planet you're from.And while you may have some problems being "normal," you'll have no problems writing sci-fi.Whether it's epic films, important novels, or vivid comics...Your own little universe could leave an important mark on the world!

Sunday, October 01, 2006

We had a great time today. We went to Oktoberfest, having bratwurst, beer (just me), and funnel cake. The fest was pretty small, from what I've been used to. Still, we had a great time watching Fry ride the carnival rides. There was also a great quilt show, and I'll have to post more on that later.

Afterward, we saw that the Parade of Homes was still going on, so we ran over to Staley Farms to see their latest houses. Some of them are huge! Never mind the money, I think of the time spent cleaning. Yikes! Of course someone could hire a cleaning service, but still. The great part about going is seeing what improvements we can apply to our own home.

As nice as the houses were, they didn't come close to the house we saw yesterday on the way to the Sit, Sip, & Knit. There's a home down the road we love. It has a wrought-iron fence and a huge pond in front. It sits back from the road on a bit of acreage. It was on the market for 1.5 million, and has since sold. In the backyard, there's a swimming pool and koi pond with a waterfall. When Fry and I drove by on our way to a quick stop at Walmart, I saw the 'estate sale' sign. We screeched to a stop, then HAD to go in. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Huge, too. A lot like the homes we saw today. I have to wonder, what does a person do with all that acreage INSIDE the house? Plus, forget about doing any painting yourself. It would take a team to do anything around there. It was a shame, though. The pool was a bit greenish, and their pond looked worse than mine! I've not worked on our pond in a while, so, yeah, I need to fix it up before winter. This whole week is going to be hot to not so hot, giving me a good chance to knock out those tasks.

I'd called the Hubs about the estate sale, mostly to let him know we can go inside the home. While Fry and I had lunch with the girls, he did his errands which included picking up my contacts and his developed film at Walmart. That, and seeing the house were what he did. I asked him to check out the two weedwackers there, and lo! He found one for $15. Yay!

Between the three of us, we had a great weekend. For next weekend, we're planning on seeing more houses on the parade, PLUS, there's a knit event on Sunday. From 1-5pm, is the annual Chemo Cap knit at Knit-wit in Olathe. After that, on Monday, from 6:30-8:30pm, is a charity knit at Yarn Shop & More in Overland Park.

The BIG news is that The Studio is having a Knitter's retreat. I am so going and really hope everyone in the SSK group will, too. I need to call or go by the Elms and see how many people fit in a suite. I want to sign up this minute! Such fun. :) A resort full of people sharing the same language of woolly things. No one has to ask, "Did you make that?" when seeing a beautiful and unique sweater. With our group, it'll be a great slumber party